Rainy Days
by ShinigamiWings
Summary: I always hated rainy days until that one day. Who would've known that a person could change your opinion just like that? But I couldn't help it. I fell in love with her on that day. It follows the anime. HaruhiXTamaki, KyouyaXOC Rated T for bad language!
1. Yosh! A New Face Appears at Ouran!

"Eh? A new student?" Tamaki Suoh asked aloud.

"Yeah, and it turns out she's like Haruhi," Kyouya Ootori replied.

"What do you mean, 'just like Haruhi'?" Tamaki inquired.

Kyouya sighed. "I mean, she's also a commoner who entered this school because of a scholarship."

"Oh, so she's a genius too?"

"Not exactly, she got her scholarship in the music department."

"Wow, that's amazing."

_At Ouran Private Academy, it is very hard for commoners to enter. There are many reasons why, but the main one is because the tuition is very pricy. Only the rich can get in easily._

"So what's her name?" Tamaki asked.

"I believe it was Rei Nobuko," Kyouya answered. "I met her this morning. She's a very interesting person."

"What?"

"Well, right before I introduced myself, she knew exactly who I was. I was taken by surprise. Who knows what other interesting things she'll pull today?"

Without even a second after Kyouya stopped talking, the third period bell rang.

"She should be coming soon, then," Tamaki whispered as he looked at the clock.

After a few minutes of sitting in silence, the door opened and in walked Rei Nobuko. She had red hair tied up in a ponytail with a streak of black on the front side of her long set-to-the-side bangs. Her eyes were an emerald color, and she wasn't that tall. Instead of the regular yellow dress the girls were supposed to wear, Rei was wearing the middle school outfit.

"Ah, Miss Nobuko, so glad you could make it," the teacher said. "Please have a seat next to Mr. Ootori. I believe you two have already met?"

"Yes, sir," Rei answered.

"Whoa, so that's the commoner? She's a lot cuter than I thought she would be," some of the boys whispered to each other.

"I wonder if she has enough money to buy the high school uniform," one girl asked.

"I'd love to see her in that," another girl replied.

"Kyouya, she looks a lot different than a commoner," Tamaki whispered to Kyouya as he watched Rei walked to her seat.

"That's what I thought, too," Kyouya whispered back. "Ah, it's good to see you again, Nobuko-chan."

"Please, just call me Rei," the girl said with a smile. "And it's good to see you again, Kyouya-san."

Kyouya smiled back. "Oh, and this guy in front of me is –"

"Tamaki Suoh," Rei interrupted.

"You know him?" Kyouya questioned.

"No, I just heard of the both of you from a friend," Rei replied. "I never thought I'd be able to meet you both on the same day. It's very nice to meet you!"  
"Now, now everyone," the teacher said, "class has begun."

"Yes, sensei," everyone replied.

* * *

"Kyouya, wait up!" Tamaki yelled as he ran up to the dark haired boy.

"We need to hurry, Tamaki," Kyouya told him. "We're going to be late."

"I know; I know."

_Tamaki Suoh: President and creator of the Ouran High School Host Club. His father is superintendent at Ouran Private Academy. _

_Kyouya Ootori: Vice president and banker of the Ouran High School Host Club. He is the youngest of the three sons of a major company owner._

They walked as fast as they could to the third music room. However, they stopped just a few steps away from the door. The voice of a cello could be heard coming out of the room, filling the hallway with wonderful music.

"That music… it sounds beautiful," Tamaki admired with a look of awe. "I wonder who's playing."

"Let's take a look," Kyouya suggested as he opened the door just a crack.

He gasped.

"What is it, Kyouya?" Tamaki asked as he looked in.

"It's Rei," they both said in unison.

"Huh? What's going on, senpais?" Haruhi Fujioka inquired as she and Hikaru and Kaoru Hitaiichin walked up.

_Haruhi Fujioka: A commoner who was mistaken as a boy and forced to work for the Ouran Host Club after she accidentally broke a vase they were using for an auction. To pay off her debt, they made her their dog. But after seeing what she looked like without her glasses on, however, she became a host herself and was to pay off her debt by getting 1000 customers._

_Hikaru and Kaoru Hitaiichin: Twins who joined the group after meeting Tamaki. Their mother is a fashion designer._

"Be quiet," Tamaki gestured by putting his finger to his lips.

All three of them had a confused face.

"Ah, hey everyone!" Hunny yelled as he and Mori stopped by them.

_Mitsukuni Haninozuka, A.K.A. Hunny: A senior who looks like an elementary student. He joined after being promised cake and lots of other sweet things by Tamaki. His family teaches martial arts and trains most of Japan's and other nations' elite guards._

_Takashi Morinozuka, A.K.A. Mori: A senior who's also the cousin of Hunny. The reason he joined is because Hunny joined. His family protected the Haninozuka family for generations._

"Tono, what's going on?" the twins asked.

"Don't you hear that music?" Tamaki asked them.

Everyone suddenly quieted and listened.

"I've heard that music somewhere before," Haruhi said as she put a finger to her chin. "But why does it sound so familiar?"

"I want to see! I want to see!" Hunny yelled as he pushed past them.

All of them were pushing to see. Unfortunately, because they were all pushing so hard, Tamaki fell into the room. Rei looked up, surprise and confusion written on her face.

"Oh, sorry for interrupting, Rei-chan," Tamaki apologized as Kyouya helped him up.

"N-No, it's my fault," Rei replied. "I didn't know this room was being used. I'll just leave now."

"Did you say 'Rei'?" Rei Nobuko?" Haruhi asked as she walked in.

Rei dropped her cello and her bow to the ground. "H-Haruhi?"

* * *

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN THE ANIME. HOWEVER, THIS STORY IS MINE NO MATTER WHAT YOU SAY!!**

**Please excuse the symbol I put after "Tono." Sometimes I'll use the terms they use in the Japanese version. If you don't like it, then tough. Go somewhere else or force yourself to like it. Anyways, usually I'll put those words down here and what they mean in English. If you can't understand English, than why are you here?**

**_Tono: M'Lord._**

**P.S. Please excuse my bad behavior. I had a rough day of school. And have a nice day!**


	2. Reunions and Warfare

**Ah! Sorry, I haven't updated in a while! I've been very busy this past year! Well, anyways, I have finally read the whole entire manga of Ouran High School Host Club! (: I had only watched the anime when I first started writing this, but then I wanted more, so I read the manga. I have found that they have more pictures of Kyoya without his glasses in the manga (sooo sexy!). I absolutely love it! Of course, I didn't like the ending that much. I was hoping for something more... I don't know. Or at least a sequel to the manga. But it's not my place to say anything about it. Oh well... enough of my ranting! Onto the story!**

**DISCLAIMER: I DON'T OWN OHSHC OR ANY OF THE CHARACTERS EXCEPT MY OWN. Of course, if I did own OHSHC, Kyoya would be completely mine! Anyways, please enjoy XD

* * *

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**Chapter 2 - Reunions and Warfare**

Rei laughed in disbelief. "Haru-chan!" She ran over to Haruhi and began squeezing the life out of her. "Oh, I can't believe it's you! It's been _so_ long!" She continued to hug the girl, not noticing the questioning looks of the boys whom she had forgotten about.

"Do you two… know each other?" Tamaki inquired.

That was when Rei realized that they were there. She let go of Haruhi and smiled.

"Yeah, she knows me," Haruhi answered. "Rei-chan and I have known each other since grade school."

"What she meant to say was," Rei added on, "Haru-chan and I have been _best_ friends since grade school."

"Ne, Haru-chan, how come we've never met her before?" Hunny asked.

The rest of the Host Club nodded their heads in agreement to Hunny's question. Haruhi put her finger to her chin as she thought of the reason why. She honestly didn't know.

"I guess," she said after a moment, "I thought it wasn't any of your business."

Tamaki was mad at her answer. So mad, in fact, that he sat in a corner and cried. "None of our business," he muttered under his breath as he was comforted by Hikaru and Kaoru. "I should be notified of all her friends." (A/N: This is all comical, just so you know.)

"Oh, I guess now's the time to introduce myself, isn't it?" Rei interrupted as she turned to the boys that she hadn't met yet. "My name's Rei Nobuko. And you must be Hunny-senpai, Mori-senpai, Hikaru-kun, and Kaoru-kun. Am I right?" (She said this while pointing to each of them.)

The four were amazed at how she all ready knew who they were. Hunny, wanting to be her best friend, grabbed her by the hand.

"Rei-chan, would you eat some cake with me?" he asked with his adorable, huge eyes dancing with delight.

Rei blushed. He was adorable! So she took him up in her arms and hugged him. "So cute!" she squealed as she spun him around.

Everyone else: *anime sweat drop on back of head*

Haruhi: _She's fallen for him._

"Ahem."

Everyone looked at Kyouya. "If you all haven't forgotten yet, we have a Host Club to tend to."

Remembering their duties, the boys and Haruhi quickly got ready for their coming guests. _Host club?_ Rei asked herself.

"Ne, Kyouya-san, what's going on?" Rei asked.

"Oh, I all most forgot about you," Kyouya replied. "This is where our Host Club meets."

"Host club?"

"Yes. Our president is Tamaki, and I am vice president. As you can see, Haruhi is also a part of this club."

_Ding!_ The light bulb turned on inside Rei's mind. She had finally put two and two together. A) Haruhi was wearing boys' clothing. B) Haruhi was part of the Host Club. And C) Haruhi wasn't acting like a girl – though she rarely did before – even though she was in the presence of very cute boys.

"Eh?"

Everyone in the room jumped at the new girl's scream. Kyouya had to cover her mouth to keep Rei silent. "Seems like you've finally figured it out."

Calmed a little bit, Rei removed Kyouya's hand and just gave a total look of confusion. "But why is Haruhi acting like a guy?"

After letting out a sigh, Kyouya told her the story of how they met Haruhi, from how she broke the vase to where they were right now. When Kyouya finished, he could tell (and so could the others) that Rei was clearly pissed off. She turned and glared at Tamaki. He winced and tried to look away, but the girl with the death stare just walked over to him.

"How the hell could you get my poor Haruhi confused as a boy?" She demanded to know.

Doing a small bow by just raising and lowering his arms, Tamaki apologized. "Sorry, sorry, but if you had seen what Haruhi had looked like when we first met, you would've probably confused her as a boy, too."

Upon hearing that, the poor girl became confused once again. "What do you mean?"

"He means this," the twins said as they showed her a picture of Haruhi on her first day of school.

Rei almost had a heart attack. _How in the world is that my Haru-chan? Did she become completely deranged or something?_ She grabbed Haruhi's shoulders so tight, Haruhi thought she was being mugged. "Haruhi! How could you have let this happen?"

"It wasn't my fault!" Haruhi tried to justify herself. "Some kid stuck gum in my hair, so I chopped it off myself! And I don't care if people see me as a boy or a girl! Outward appearances shouldn't matter!"

Rei put a hand her to forehead. "Geez, always like that… Couldn't you at least have put _some_ effort into looking like a girl?"

"That's what we said!" the Host Club exclaimed (well, the ones whom you can imagine exclaim it, anyways).

"So, Rei-chan, now that you know…"

Rei watched Kyouya carefully. He had a scary look in his eyes and an evil grin on his face. She had a feeling that what he was about to say would put her in debt for the rest of her life.

"Now that I know?" she tried to get him to hurry up with what he was saying.

Kyouya continued, "Now that you know about Haruhi's secret, I think we need to set some things straight. First off, since Haruhi has a debt to pay, you are not allowed to tell anyone her secret."

"Hold on!" Haruhi angrily interrupted, though Kyouya was ignoring her. "I thought that debt was paid!"

"Second, if you do tell anyone her secret, you will be forced to do the Host Club's chores until the day you die."

"I think Kyouya-senpai is going a little bit overboard," the twins whispered to Tamaki. "Don't you think so, Tono?"

Feeling sorry for the poor girl (literally poor, haha), Tamaki sighed. "Yes, perhaps a bit. But it's all with good intentions, right?"

Kyouya had been ignoring everybody except for Rei the whole time. "Third, you will be here every time the club is open and for our meetings. Seeing as how you are worried for Haruhi, I think this will allow you to keep a close eye on her. Also, you can help with the snacks. And finally, if you in any way disrupt this club, I will see to it personally that you never come back, understood?"

Rei: *anime sweat drop* Y-Yes…

"Good!" Kyouya gave another one of his creepy smiles and turned away to go finish getting ready for the club that day.

Rei: *thinking* He's scary… very scary…

* * *

Okay, this was all weird. Really, _really_ weird. Just what the hell were these guys? Rei stared in disbelief at the scene in front of her. She hadn't expected this at all. She thought they just talked to girls, that's all. But when they came out in their costumes – freakin' Lord of the Rings costumes! – Rei began to worry. Just what had Haruhi gotten herself into? However, the weirdest part wasn't the costumes, it was the customers! When they walked in, they acted like this was normal! How in the world was that _normal_? Sighing, Rei put a hand to her head. While the boys were putting on their costumes, she had been preparing the snacks for the club. After all, since Kyouya had required her to be in charge of the snacks, she had no choice but to obey. _He's a freaking demon after all!_ She thought to herself.

"Oh, Rei-chan!" Tamaki called.

Rei's eyebrow twitched when he called her. _I refuse to serve them snacks. What do they think I am? Some sort of maid? I am not a common commoner! Kami-sama, why are you doing this to me?_

"Hey, Rei-chan!" Tamaki called again.

Rei wouldn't have gone over, but Kyouya had given her a glare that would make even the devil himself whimper in fear. Reluctantly, the girl walked over to her fellow classmate. "Y-Yeah?"

She hated talking to him when he was dressed like- like a stupid elf! (A/N: Tamaki is Legolas, of course).

"This young lady here would like some cake. Would you serve her some, please?"

_Serve?_ Rei tried to count to ten—she even tried to take deep breaths!—but this was all too much. She slammed the tray of cakes down onto the coffee table in front of Tamaki and his guests. Then she put a finger to his face and yelled, "Who do you think you are? If you think—"

"Don't forget our deal, Rei-chan," Kyouya warned.

Not wanting to see if he would actually carry out what he promised, Rei put her finger down and served the girl some cake and tea. "Here you go."

The red head dragged her feet along as she went to go get some more cake. She tried not to watch the rest of them, but it was so damn hard! They were all loud and obnoxious! Well, except for Haruhi. She, dressed up as Arwen, surprisingly acted like this was all a normal routine to her. Rei analyzed the scene in front of her. They were all a bunch of idiots! She couldn't believe that girls would fall for guys like them! Hikaru and Kaoru, who were dressed up as Pippin and Merry, were doing their usual "twin-cest" routine. Hunny-senpai, who was dressed up as Frodo (reason: I don't know), was asking his customers if they would like more cake while Mori-senpai, who was dressed up as Sam (I know! It doesn't really go with him), was just staring off into the distance. Finally, she came upon Kyouya who was for some reason dressed up as Aragorn. Aragorn was supposed to be a prince with a kind heart, but this guy was the complete opposite! When she saw him, she had the immediate feeling to pummel his face into the ground. But that would go against what she promised the chairman.

_**~Rei's first meeting with the chairman (A.K.A. Tamaki's dad)~**_

"_I'd like to congratulate you, Nobuko-chan," the chairman said as he gestured for her to sit down in a chair in front of his desk. "You're the second commoner to get into this school with a scholarship!"_

"_Thank you very much for accepting me," Rei said while bowing before she sat down._

"_It was my pleasure. Now, there are some things I would like to discuss before you come here. I have looked at your past school records, and they have shown me that you have had a history of violence at your old schools. I know people change, but just to make sure, I will tell you this. At Ouran Academy, we do not tolerate violence. If you start a fight, even a small one, I will have you immediately removed from our school, understand?"_

_Rei nodded her head._

"_Good. There are a few other things. I want to know why… why did you choose to come here?"_

_Well, that was unexpected. No one had asked her that before, but seeing at how the chairman was waiting for an answer, Rei didn't hesitate to reply. "Because I made a promise to that person that I would finish what she couldn't. That I would become what she cannot anymore."_

_The chairman had a puzzled look on his face. "Who?"_

"_Ah, forgive me," Rei apologized. "You probably don't know her. She's on one of the walls of Ouran Academy, though. I believe it is on the 'Hall of Fame' wall? Well, anyways, it's no use in knowing her anyways."_

"_Why?"_

_A sad smile found its way to the girl's lips. "She's dead."_

**~End of flashback~**

So, Rei couldn't possibly start a fight. If she was going to stay in Ouran, she would just have to contain herself. She sighed and put some more tea on a tray. This was going to be a long year. A beep from her watch grabbed her attention. Rei looked down and noticed the time.

"Ah, sorry, but I have to go!" she yelled as she rushed out of the room.

"Huh?"

"And where do you think you're going?" Kyouya inquired.

Rei replied, "I have to get home before my little brothers and sisters do! I'm sorry; but if I don't hurry, they'll wonder where I am!"

Without another word, Rei was gone and the boys were left to wonder what just happened.

* * *

Rei sprinted all the way home, not even worried about crossing in front of busy streets. Her first day of school, and everything was all ready going completely wrong. _Geez, why did I have to meet those two?_ (A/N: She's referring to Tamaki and Kyouya). Rei's house wasn't far away from Ouran, but it wasn't close either. It took the girl all most half an hour to get home (it would've been close to an hour had she been walking). Finally, her house came in view.

The Nobuko household was a two story house. It wasn't a mansion, though. The house looked like a bed and breakfast, except not as fancy. Rei entered her house and got out some snacks and drinks for her little siblings. She had four brothers and four sisters. All of the girls (except for Rei) shared one room, and all of the boys slept together in another one. Rei was the oldest (age 16), of course; the next child was Isabella (age 14); then there was Ichirou – male- and Izumi – female - ages 10; then Jirou – male – age 8; then Mayumi – female – age 7; then Saburo – male – age 5; then Shiro – male – age 4; and finally, the youngest, Amanda (age 2). Rei's parents were both of Japanese descent, but her mother was raised in America while her father was raised in Japan. The two met when Rei's mother, Sayuri, went to Japan to start her career as a model. However, she met Daichi, Rei's father, when he came to one of her shoots. The two instantly fell in love and got married.

Rei's parents and she lived in America from when Rei was a baby until she was a toddler. Then they moved to Japan and began living in their two-story house. Both of her parents worked, too. Daichi was a surgeon; Sayuri was a secretary for some big company. The two of them barely spent any time at home so Rei being the oldest looked after her siblings. She would go home after school every day and make sure that all of them returned home safely. Then, she would give them all a snack and make them do their homework. In truth, she was much like a mother to them instead of an older sister or a babysitter.

"Onee-chan!"

_Ah, they're home!_ Rushing to meet them, Rei greeted her family with a smile. "Hello, everyone! How was school?"

* * *

"Say, Haruhi, how many brothers and sisters does Rei have?" Kyouya asked.

The Host Club's guests had all ready left, and the club members were getting ready to leave. Haruhi put a hand to her chin and thought. She hadn't seen Rei in a while and didn't keep in touch, but they were really good friends in grade school and in junior high so they knew mostly everything about each other.

"If I remember correctly, Rei-chan has four brothers and four sisters, all younger than she," Haruhi replied.

"Whoa!"

The boys were amazed.

"That's a lot," Tamaki commented.

Feeling as if she did not explain well, Haruhi said, "Ah, well, most of them are adopted."

"Eh?"

"You see," Haruhi continued, "Only four of them are actually related by blood. That is Rei-chan, Isabella who is the second oldest of the family, Jirou who is their only son, and Amanda who is the youngest of all. The Nobuko family moved to the U.S. when Rei-chan was born and that's where Rei-chan and Isabella were raised for a bit. Then they moved back to Japan. Rei-chan's parents wanted more kids, but their tries were unsuccessful so they started adopting. They started out with only three, but then some of their relatives died and their children were left under the care of Rei-chan's family. Miraculously, Rei-chan's parents had their final child in the end."

"Geez, how does her family afford it?" Kaoru inquired.

"Yeah, after all, she is a commoner, right?" Hikaru added.

"Rei-chan isn't that much of a commoner."

The boys and Haruhi listened as Kyouya talked to them. He had done a bit of research on Rei, but not a lot.

"Her father," said Kyouya, "is a surgeon at one of my family's hospitals, and her mother is a secretary for one of the Suoh family's companies. In short, if Rei-chan didn't have so many siblings, her family would be somewhat rich."

"Oh," the boys cooed.

"Yosh!" Tamaki exclaimed. "It's settled then!"

"Huh? What are you talking about, Tono?" the twins asked.

The Host Club king smirked. "I mean, we'll make sure Rei-chan is treated like one of us from now on! After hearing what Kyouya has said, Rei-chan seems to _not_ be some mere commoner, but a girl who would be able to live a life of luxury if not for her family's wonderful compassion to take care of all those children. From today on, we will treat Rei-chan like a princess!"

All of them were still pretty much confused, and Haruhi just slapped her hand to her forehead. _This guy…_ she thought.

"I also think we should go visit her sometime this week!" suggested Tamaki happily.

Instantly, Haruhi started shaking her head. "N-No, I think that would be a bad idea. You see, if you get Rei-chan really mad, she'll—"

"On what day will we go visit her, Tono?" questioned the twins.

"Um, I'm not sure," Tamaki answered. "How about next week?"

They were all clearly ignoring Haruhi. She observed, afraid for their sakes of what Rei-chan would do to them when they came over. Everyone seemed immersed in the conversation of what Rei-chan's house and family would be like. Kyouya was the only one who wasn't socializing with them.

"Kyouya-senpai, do you not want to go to Rei-chan's house?" Haruhi was curious as to what he was thinking.

"Not really. There's no point in going. Tamaki misheard what I said about Rei-chan. Yes, I said that she wasn't a mere commoner, but I didn't say she was rich. All I said was that her family could be part of the upper middle class if the Nobuko household wasn't so big. Also, there's something about that girl… I don't know what it is, but it's like there's a dark side to her."

_You're one to talk_, Haruhi thought. Well, there was nothing she could do. The boys wanted to go visit Rei, and nothing was going to stop them. _Guess they'll have to learn the hard way._

_

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_**Hope you liked this chapter! If you're wondering why I chose Lord of the Rings, it's because it's the first thing I thought of (while I was writing that part, I was also watching Lord of the Rings). Anyways, I wanted you to see a little bit of Rei's world in this story too. Don't worry, this fanfic isn't going to be all about her. It's going to be about all of the Host Club members. So please review! Thanks! Oh, and Happy New Year's! :D**_  
_


	3. Surpise, Surprise, Surprise!

**Hey everyone! Happy 2011! Man, I can't believe that 2010 passed by so fast. Anyways, I'm quite surprised with myself. This is the first time that I have finished another chapter of the same story within a month (haha, I usually don't even finish another chapter until like 5 months after I've just posted a chapter). I'm just full of surprises! XD All righty then; without further ado, I give you the next chapter!**

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN OHSHC OR ITS CHARACTERS EXCEPT MY OWN. PLEASE SUPPORT BISCO HATORI AND HIS OTHER MANGA! THE MAN'S A FREAKIN' GENIUS FOR MAKING OURAN HIGH SCHOOL HOST CLUB! :D

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**Chapter 3 – Surprise, Surprise, Surprise!**

A few days had passed by since Rei's first day of school. She had settled the issue with her younger siblings and told them from then on she would be getting home later than usual, so Isabella would be in charge. Rei didn't like leaving them alone like that, but it couldn't be helped. Kyouya was a heartless bastard who wouldn't change the rules no matter how hard Rei tried to reason with him. She sighed angrily as she made her way to her first hour class.

"Good morning, Rei-chan!" Tamaki greeted as she walked into the room. He was seated by Kyouya, as always, and of course there were girls surrounding the two.

Rei tried to smile as she returned the greeting, but it was hard. Ever since her first day of school, Tamaki had been acting really strange…r than before. Every time she walked into a room, he would always make sure everyone knew she was there. During Host Club, he would make sure she didn't serve the tea or cakes which – even though it was a good thing – made her very worried. Even the other boys treated her like she had some disease or something. Well, everyone except Kyouya. He still treated her like he did before, and she was thankful for that. She needed someone who was at least a little bit sane in order to keep her sanity as well. Because of the boys' special treatment, some of the girls began disliking Rei. Some would talk bad about her behind her back, and others would push her around in the hallways. However, Rei kept her cool and never once fought back even though it was in her nature.

"Hey, Rei-chan, today is your first day of music lessons, right?" one of the girls surrounding Tamaki and Kyouya asked. She wasn't one of the girls who was jealous of her. Instead, she was like the majority of the girls and didn't care that Tamaki and the others were treating her like… them.

Rei grinned. "Yep! I'm excited! I finally get to learn from a real expert!"

"I heard that Rei-chan also knows how to play the piano," another girl interjected.

Said girl nodded her head. "Uhuh, and I can also play the guitar, violin, and flute."

"Wow, no wonder you got in for a music scholarship. Rei-chan is amazing!"

Blushing, Rei tried to humble herself. "N-No, I just like to learn new things while I can. I think it's always a good thing to try to take in as much as one can in life, don't you think?"

The people surrounding her were overwhelmed with admiration for the girl, especially Tamaki. But there were some people in the room who were rather crude. One major person whom you should keep in mind was a blond-headed Tamaki fangirl named Mari. She just sneered at the popularity that the commoner was getting. _Why does that lowlife get some much attention? Why is Tamaki-san being so nice to her? Does he forget that she's worth nothing?_ Deciding that Rei was having too much time in the spot light, Mari began laughing obnoxiously.

"Oh my, what a stupid theory you have, Rei-chan," the blond snorted. "Why should one take in unnecessary things? We all have our lives ahead of us, anyways; we know what we want to learn. Why would we want to waste our time on such carelessness?"

Everyone was silent. You could feel the tension in the air from a mile away. All the students' eyes were fixed on Rei and Mari who were just staring at each other. Rei had her hands balled into fists; she was trying so hard not to smack the smirk right off of Mari's face. Thankfully, the school bell rang and the tension was broken. The students quickly went to their seats awaiting their first lesson of the day.

* * *

Haruhi had heard about the all most fight in the first period classroom of the second years. She was glad that Rei had overcome her violent side and didn't start a fight. It would've been far worse than middle school. Wanting to see if her friend was all right, Haruhi had asked Hikaru and Kaoru to walk with her to Class 2-A's room. The boys complied, and they were on their way to visit the upperclassmen. It didn't take long to get their; after all, the sophomores weren't that far away from the freshmen.

Tamaki was the first one to notice the three. "Haruhi! Did you come to see if Daddy was all right?"

"No," Haruhi blatantly responded. "I came to see if Rei-chan was all right."

With fake tears rolling down his face, Tamaki whined and pointed behind him. "She's over there talking to Kyouya."

The three freshmen looked over their president's shoulder to see Rei laughing. She was indeed talking to Kyouya which was surprising. After all, Kyouya _was_ the one forcing Rei to come to the Host Club everyday. And yet there they were, talking to each other as if they were old friends just catching up after not seeing the other for quite some time. Haruhi smiled. She hadn't seen Rei like that in some time. It was a miracle that the girl was still able to even get out of bed each day after all that she had been through. With the death of—

"Haru-chan!"

Quickly snapping back to life, Haruhi saw Rei running towards her. The girl gave Haruhi a bear hug, not noticing that Haruhi couldn't breathe. After a second or two, Rei let the girl go. Kyouya walked up beside Rei.

"Ah, so what brings you three here?" he asked.

"Haruhi here just wanted to check up on Rei-senpai," the twins replied.

"So you heard?" Rei inquired solemnly. "I guess it's gotten all over school. I just hope the chairman doesn't ask to see me. It's only been my first week of school, and I don't want to get in trouble quite yet."

Tamaki chuckled. "I don't think my father would want to see you for something small like that. Plus, he's very busy with his other job so he wouldn't have that much time to care for it."

Rei sighed at the relief. "That's good." It was then that she realized Haruhi was staring at her with worried eyes. She didn't know why at first her friend was looking at her like that, but she wanted to change that worry into happy. "Haruhi, why don't we take a stroll down the hallway, ne?"

Without disagreement, Haruhi nodded her head and followed Rei out of the classroom, leaving the boys behind with confused looks again.

"I wonder what that's all about," said the twins as they both put their hands up in question.

* * *

"You were worried that I was returning to the girl you knew back in middle school, right?" Rei questioned as the two wandered down the hallway.

Haruhi nodded without a word. The red head let out a breath. "I guess I should've seen this coming. But I've changed, Haruhi. I really have. I don't want to be that girl back in middle school anymore; I want to live like my sister would've wanted me to live. So there's no need to worry, all right?"

Once again, Haruhi nodded. "But what if you do somehow end up becoming like you were back then?"

Rei put a finger to her chin in a thoughtful position. "Well, I guess I'll give you permission to knock some sense back into me then. Anyways, Haru-chan, you have to trust me. I promise you that no matter what, I will not become like my former self. Pinky promise."

The sophomore stuck out her right pinky awaiting Haruhi to wrap her pinky around it. Haruhi hesitated for a second, but then wrapped her pinky around her friend's. "All right."

A huge smile was plastered on Rei's face. She quickly hugged Haruhi once more and said, "Well then, we should get going. Class is about to start."

* * *

"Ring!"

Finally, it was the lunch bell. The students of class 2-A hurriedly rushed out the door to the cafeteria. The only ones to tread behind were Tamaki, Kyouya, and Rei. Those three had been hanging out a lot together lately. Kyouya didn't know if it was because Rei met those two first so she decided to stick with them, or if the three just had some sort of connection. Maybe it was because, in some ways, Rei resembled Haruhi. Sure, Rei had a lot more common sense than Haruhi, but she had the same look in her eye that showed a deep compassion as Haruhi did. And for some reason, Kyouya had found that Rei was perhaps one of the most interesting people he had ever met. She certainly wasn't like all the other girls; she knew what she wanted, and nothing was going to get in her way. Before he and Tamaki exited the room, Kyouya noticed Rei was still in her seat. He nudged Tamaki, and the blond gentleman decided he would get her attention.

"Rei-chan, it's lunch time," Tamaki told her. "Aren't you hungry?"

Rei popped her head up and looked at them surprised. She had obviously been thinking about something. "Eh? Oh, no, I'm fine. I'm not hungry at all." Unfortunately, that was a lie because the next instant, Rei's stomach began rumbling.

"Could it be?" Tamaki mumbled to himself.

"You forgot your lunch today?" Kyouya finished the question the Tamaki had formed.

The girl nervously laughed and rubbed the back of her head. "Well, it isn't the first time."

After hearing this, the two boys were shocked. _Of course,_ Kyouya thought.

_We didn't notice before that Rei-chan hadn't come with us to lunch,_ Tamaki said to himself.

_Could it be that she hasn't had lunch all week?_ They wondered in their heads.

"That isn't good for you, Rei-chan," said Tamaki like a worried parent. "Why didn't you tell us before?"

"It's fine," Rei tried to reassure them. "I can deal with it. Besides, I didn't want to have to pay anybody back for food. It would've been too troublesome."

_Yep, exactly like Haruhi,_ Kyouya resolved in his mind.

"Well, there's no helping it," Tamaki said. "From today on I'll—"

"I'll buy your lunch for you," interrupted Kyouya.

The other two stared at him in surprise. Clearly, neither of them expected that from Kyouya.

"No, it's okay, really," Rei replied. "You don't have to."

"If you're worried about having to pay me back, don't worry about it," Kyouya told her. "Food doesn't cost that much. And besides, if you're stomach grumbles like that during club hours, it'll end up scaring the customers away."

The girl's face had become as red as her hair after he said that. "Okay, you can buy me lunch. But only if I forget it and have no other choice but to."

"Then that'll be everyday," Kyouya responded with a devilish smirk. "You're not the best at remembering things, am I right?"

Her eyebrow twitched. _B-Bastard… I thought he was actually kind on the inside, but I can see now that he has a black hole instead of a heart. What a jerk!_

"Well, then, let's be on our way," the Low Blood Pressure King said as he headed for the cafeteria with Tamaki.

"H-Hey! Wait!" Rei yelled as she ran to catch up to them.

As the three entered the line to get their food, Mari noticed that Rei was acting very friendly with Kyouya. Now, she wasn't a Kyouya fangirl, but she hated seeing him act nice toward a commoner. A plan quickly formulated inside her mind. After getting their food, Rei and the other two boys decided to sit by their first year friends (Haruhi, Kaoru, and Hikaru). Also sitting at the table was Hunny and Mori. Mari, who was sitting a table down from the group, got up with her tray and strutted past them. However, while passing by Rei, she "accidentally" spilled her tray on the commoner.

"Oh, sorry about that," she sarcastically 'apologized.' "Me and my clumsy self."

"Hey, Mari-san, that wasn't very nice!" Tamaki yelled as he got up. "I don't know what your problem is, but—"

"Tamaki, calm down," Kyouya ordered, putting his hand on Tamaki's shoulder to settle him down. "This isn't something for you to resolve. Anyways, Mari-san, I think it would be best if you left now."

The stuck up snob was surprised at Tamaki's reaction. Angrily, she stomped out of the cafeteria with her friends behind her. Kyouya looked at Rei who was just staring at her food, her hands clutched tightly in her lap. _Why is she trying so hard?_ Kyouya wondered. _Why doesn't she stand up for herself?_ It was then that he noticed a tear falling from her eye.

"Ah, sorry," Rei said as she lowered her head. "It seems I cause a ruckus no matter where I am." She let out a fake laugh. "Guess I shouldn't expect anything different, huh?"

Without realizing it, Kyouya involuntarily put his hand on her head. She gasped silently, then gazed up at the boy with glasses. He gave her a small smile and said, "What should we do now, Tamaki?"

"Well, she can't go walking around like that, now can she?" The blond put his hand out, waiting for her to take it. He helped her out of her seat and snapped his fingers. "Hikaru, Kaoru!"

"Yes, sir!" The two knew exactly what to do. Rei was completely terrified. The look on the twins' faces was scary. Without warning, the two Hitachiian boys grabbed the girl by her arms and ran off.

"Hey, where are we going?" Rei demanded to know. Unfortunately, neither of the boys would answer her.

"Kyouya! Call the school's hair stylist!" Tamaki ordered. "Mori-senpai, grab Rei-chan's bag and bring it to the dressing rooms! It has Rei-chan's make up in it. Haruhi, see if you can find an extra pair of shoes for Rei-chan! And Hunny-senpai... I leave you in charge of eating our desserts!"

"Yes, sir!"

The boys and Haruhi quickly followed orders. Hunny, though, stayed behind with his food and Usa-chan. "Ne, Usa-chan, don't you feel like this has happened before?" Hunny asked his stuffed animal.

* * *

Tamaki made his way to the dressing rooms. He didn't know why Mari-san had purposely spilled her food on Rei, but he didn't like it. Rei-chan was his friend and was becoming a part of the Host Club 'family.' No one would hurt his 'family' even if they were customers of the Host Club. Finally reaching the room, he opened the door and waited by the twins. Rei was all ready putting on a new outfit. Not so long after Tamaki arrived, the others arrived as well. Kyouya had also brought the school's hair stylist who was awaiting for her client of the day. Hunny-senpai also came after a minute, not wanting to be left out. Finally, after moments of waiting, Rei opened the curtain that separated her and the others. Everyone gasped. Rei was actually wearing the high school girl's uniform, and it looked gorgeous on her. However, the red head had a sour look on her face.

"Huh? What's wrong, Rei-chan?" Tamaki inquired.

"It's not that I'm ungrateful of what you're doing for me," Rei began, "but I don't really like the dress. Yellow is not a favorite color of mine."

"It's true," Haruhi mumbled.

"What? You want to put back on those soiled clothes of yours?" Kyouya said. "Or did you want to go around school wearing a horrible outfit that looks like what Haruhi wore on her first day of school?"

Rei's eyebrow twitched again. _I hate you,_ she inwardly told him. Sighing, she stepped out of the dressing room. "I guess this will do," she grumbled. Then she noticed the hair stylist. "What is she doing here?"

"Well, you've got some food in your hair, and it looks messed up," said Tamaki. "So I told Kyouya to call her over."

The new girl was surprised. That was very kind of Tamaki, and one of his first non-stupid ideas. The hair stylist ushered Rei to sit in a nearby chair, then pulled out some supplies like a comb, a hair dryer, scissors, and some hair dye. Rei saw it and asked, "What is that for?"

"Well, we've got to get rid of that black streak in your hair," Kyouya answered. "It makes you look like you're a rebel."

All Rei did was stick out her tongue. "Whatever." Ugh, he was a complete know-it-all, and she couldn't stand him! He was the complete opposite of her. To think, she was about to soften up to him when he tried to comfort her in the cafeteria, but now he was being a complete bastard! She didn't understand how Tamaki and the others could be so friendly towards him. She grunted inwardly. _If only I could give him a piece of my mind…_

It didn't take long for the hair stylist to dye all of Rei's hair red. What did take long was washing the food out of her hair. It seemed the Mari had gotten a really sticky dessert with her lunch, probably pudding or pie with whip cream on top. Whatever it was, the hair stylist had to wash Rei's hair several times to get the smell out. Then the twins just had to get Rei's make up bag and put some more make up on her. Well, after moments of waiting, Hikaru and Kaoru turned the chair around to show everyone the new Rei. She didn't look that different, but her hair was shoulder-length now and had a tint of brown with hi-lites of that color; her make up did bring out her eyes and made her look a lot more feminine than she did before. All of that with the high school dress on and she looked just like a model.

"C-Cute!" the twins and Hunny said.

Rei blushed. " T-Thank you. Um, I don't have to keep the dress, right?"

"Not unless you want to pay for it," Kyouya told her as he began walking out the door.

Hissing, Rei just glared at the back of his head and muttered, "No one asked you." Even though she didn't mean for him to hear it, he did and chuckled all the way out of the room, leaving an even angrier Rei behind.

"Ne, Takeshi, did you notice too?" Hunny asked his closest companion.

Takeshi nodded his head. "Yeah."

Overhearing what the two had said, Haruhi raised an eyebrow in question. "Huh?"

Hunny, who didn't know that she had overheard, began to nervously laugh. "Haru-chan, you promise not to tell?"

Still confused, Haruhi just nodded her head. What were they talking about? _Who_ were they talking about? Kyouya-senpai? Her head spun with questions. While Tamaki, Rei, and the twins were talking about who knows what, Hunny grabbed Haruhi's hand and led her to the corner.

"Hunny-senpai, what's going on?" Haruhi questioned.

Just grinning, Hunny with his hands behind his back replied, "Kyo-chan left like that because he was blushing."

"Eh?"

* * *

After making his way to an isolated area of the hall, Kyouya rested against a wall and put his hand to his head. _What the hell was that? After the twins turned her around, I couldn't help but think that she was so…_ Kyouya hit his head against the wall and groaned. An image of Rei popped into his mind. His face turned red again, and he felt like punching himself. _I thought she was so _cute_! What the hell's wrong with me? _Sighing, Kyouya lifted his glasses up and exited the building. He wanted to forget about those feelings and fast.

* * *

"So cute!" everyone yelled.

Lunch was over, and everyone was gathering together for the next class. All the girls and guys were going head over heels at the girl standing before them. Rei's face was a darker shade of red than her hair, and she was looking at her feet while they all ogled at her new look. Many of the guys started hitting on her, though she politely told them to back off. Most of the girls just couldn't help themselves and began giving her beauty tips. One of them asked her if she would keep the dress.

"No," Rei replied. "This isn't really my style. I like the middle school outfit a lot better than the high school uniform."

Upon hearing this, the group of people moaned. They were all disappointed because most of them loved seeing her in the dress. Tamaki just laughed; he had known she was going to say that since she didn't like the dress at all when she changed outfits. He turned his head to say something to Kyouya, but the boy with glasses was nowhere in sight. _That's strange,_ thought Tamaki. _He's usually here by now._

"Hey, Rei-chan, have you seen Kyouya?" he asked the girl.

Rei shook her head. "I haven't seen him since I changed clothes. He seemed strange though when he left, and I saw Hunny-senpai and Mori-senpai telling Haru-chan something. Do you think anything's wrong?"

"I don't know. Maybe we should go look for him."

"Okay."

So the two left the classroom in search of their friend. They didn't go very far because Rei spotted Kyouya outside. He was headed for the door that led to the hallway they were in. The two went ahead and walked over to him, wondering why their friend took so long to get there.

"Sorry, I got caught up in something," Kyouya apologized after seeing the questioning look on their faces. "Anyways, class is about to start. Let's get going."

She didn't buy his story at all, seeing as how Kyouya was a person who could usually keep track of time. But Rei didn't say anything. Instead, she looked at Tamaki for an answer, and he just shrugged his shoulders. He didn't know what was going on with Kyouya either. The two were completely befuddled at what could've happened. However, Tamaki could've sworn he saw Kyouya blush when he first saw Rei just then. _Must've been my mind playing tricks on me,_ he told himself. No way did Kyouya blush. He's never done that before. Tamaki dropped the thought from his mind as they entered the classroom. He would think about that later, he said in his mind right before the bell rang for the start of the class.

* * *

"Chirp! Chirp!"

The sun rays hit Rei's sleeping face, telling her that it was now morning. Rei squinted her eyes once before opening them. She sat up, rubbing her eyes and yawning.

"Ah, finally, the weekend," Rei said as she got out of bed and dragged herself to her bathroom.

It was Saturday, which meant no school and no Host Club. She wouldn't have to deal with those imbeciles today (referring to the boys in the Host Club, specifically Tamaki), and she wouldn't have to worry about getting pissed off by Kyouya. After combing her hair, brushing her teeth, and putting on some comfy clothes, Rei made her way downstairs for breakfast. Her father and little siblings were all ready at the table eating breakfast while her mother was frying some eggs in the kitchen.

"Ah, good morning, Rei," her father greeted her as she walked into the room.

"Good morning, Rei-onee-chan*," her brothers and sisters also greeted.

"Good morning, everyone," greeted Rei as she walked into the kitchen and gave her mother a peck on the cheek. "Good morning, Okasan*."

Her mother smiled and used the spatula in her hand to point to a plate beside her. "I all ready put your food on your plate. Just get you some juice and eat."

"Yes, ma'am!"

Rei grabbed her food and drink and sat down by Bella. "So, Otosan*, do you have to work today?"

Her father nodded. "I'll be leaving soon, but I'll be home earlier than usual tonight. Do you have any plans for today, Rei?"

His oldest daughter shook her head. "No, but I'll probably do some cleaning. What are you doing today, Bella?"

Rei's sister put her fork down that had a piece of bacon on it and finished swallowing her food. "Nothing. I'll probably help you out."

"And the rest of you?" Rei directed the questions to her other siblings.

They all smiled and said loudly, "Nothing!"

"Nothing? Well, we'll just have to do something about that," Sayuri (the mother) replied as she walked over and put some eggs on everyone's plate. "I think you all should help your older sisters with cleaning the house. What do you think?"

"Yes, ma'am," they grumbled.

Rei and her parents just laughed. Rei turned her head and watched her sister as she ate. Bella was a quiet kid, not like her sister at all. Even her hair color was different. It was jet black and reached mid back. She looked more like their parents than Rei did. Oddly enough, Rei looked nothing like her parents, but they were related by blood. It was a mystery Rei would never figure out. Sayuri had black, long hair quite like Bella. She was a petite lady—you wouldn't be able to tell that she had given birth to four children. Her eyes were a beautiful emerald color, and her skin showed just how many hours she had been spending in the sun all her life. Daichi, her father, had graying hair; it's original color was a dark brown. He had black eyes and tan skin like Sayuri did. He was not a small man, but an average looking man with some muscle to him. In his college years, he had worked as a construction worker. After college and before he became a surgeon, Daichi was also a body guard for some big fashion designers. That's how he met Sayuri.

"Oh, Rei, I'll also be working today," Sayuri said as she grabbed some of the children's plates. "I'll probably be home later than your father. Do you mind making dinner?"

"No, it's fine. I'll be glad to. So, what do you all want to eat tonight?"

"Curry!"

"Nabe*!"

"Domburi!*"

"Yakisoba*!"

The eldest sister chuckled. "How 'bout we let Otosan decide since he'll be here for dinner?"

All eyes fell upon the head of the household. The man put his hand to his chin and thought. "Let's have ramen tonight!"

"Yay!" half the kids cheered. The other half whined again and dreaded having to eat what they would probably have for lunch too.

"All right, ramen it is!" said Rei.

After everyone finished eating, Rei helped her mother wash the dishes while Bella watched the kids outside. They had a mini playground in their backyard that consisted of four seesaws, six swing sets, a clubhouse with a slide and monkey bars, and a huge trampoline. They also had a pool, but seeing as the weather wasn't hot enough yet, no one used it. Soon it was time for the Nobuko parents to leave. Though they didn't want them to go, the children just waved and said farewell to their parents.

As soon as Rei shut the front door, she turned around to look at the kids she would be watching that day. "Ready, everyone? It's clean up time!"

The kids, though some moaned, obediently went to do their chores. Rei and Bella went with them to make sure they actually did their chores. Bella went with the girls to make sure they cleaned their room (since it was her room too), and Rei went with the boys. She wished she would've gone with the girls instead. The boys' room looked like somebody had robbed it then a hurricane came and made an even bigger mess. _So glad I wasn't born a guy,_ Rei thought as she thanked Kami-sama* for not making her a guy. It was taking the boys a while to clean their room so Rei decided to help out. She helped the little ones put their clothes up and make their beds, and told the older ones that as soon as they're done to help out too. Finally, the boys' room was finished. Next was their bathroom. The girls and boys had different bathrooms that way they would all have time to get ready in the morning for school. The girls' bathroom was across from their bedroom while the boys' bathroom was down the hall, close to their parents' bedroom. Their parents and Rei were the only ones with bathrooms in their bedrooms. Finally, after a few hours of cleaning, the Nobuko children were finished. All that was left to be done was the laundry and dishes, but that was something that Rei would take care of herself.

While the little kids watched television in the living room – Bella babysitting them – Rei made her way to the laundry room to get the clothes out of the washing machine. Before she got there, though, the doorbell rang. Rei rushed over to front door and looked through the peep hole. She cussed inwardly. _What the hell are they doing here?_ She could feel the despair making its way to her. Today, unfortunately, would not be as peaceful a day as she had hoped. She hesitantly opened the door a crack. Outside were Tamaki, Haruhi, and the others. As soon as they saw Rei, they smiled and said, "Oh, hello, Rei—"

"Ah, sorry, I think you have the wrong house," Rei interrupted and quickly shut the door.

_How in the world did they find out where my house was?_ She wondered as she put her back on the door and sighed. _Well, at least I got rid of them._

"Onee-chan, who were they?" Bella asked.

Rei jumped. Her sister had appeared out of nowhere. She was so quiet, Rei didn't even notice her walk up. She let out a nervous laugh and answered, "N-No one. Don't worry about it, Bella. Just go back to the television room. If you hear the doorbell while I'm getting laundry—"

"Oh wow, your house is a lot bigger than expected, Rei-chan," Tamaki said.

Rei jumped again. They had somehow gotten in the house while she was talking to Bella. Then she noticed she had left the door unlocked. _Damn it._ Her eye twitched as the boys began to look around the house.

"Sorry, Rei-chan, but they wanted to come by," Haruhi apologized. "And _that_ idiot over there" – she pointed to Tamaki – "wouldn't leave me alone so I was forced to come as well."

"It's not your fault," Rei replied with a fake and scary smile plastered on her face. "You can't control what those bastards do. Guess I'll have to find some way to get rid of them."

That statement frightened Haruhi. What was Rei planning on doing to the guys?

"Oh, Rei-chan, who's this?" inquired Tamaki as he stared at Bella.

Bella hadn't said a single thing the whole time but just stared at the group of boys that had broken into their house. Rei sighed. "This is Bella. She's the second oldest. Bella, this is Tamaki-san, Kyouya-san, Hikaru-kun, Kaoru-kun, Hunny-senpai, Mori-senpai, and of course you know Haru-chan."

"Whoa, Rei-senpai's house is like a mini version of our mansion!" Hikaru marveled at the two story house the Nobuko family rented. "Ne, Kaoru, look, there's actually a second story! Who knew commoners could afford a place like this?"

Rei was about to hit the twins on the head, but Kyouya interrupted the two. "I thought I told you two all ready that Rei-chan isn't a mere commoner. Anyways, don't touch anything. We don't want to break any of their cheap furniture." Rei could feel her eye twitch again. Yep, Despair had found her. Before she could get a chance to punch Kyouya in the face, however, something else interrupted her.

"Ah, and who is this cute little girl here?" Tamaki asked as he picked a little baby up.

"That's Amanda," Rei replied. "She's the youngest. Only two years old, but she's smart for her age. She can all ready read. Isn't that right, Amanda?"

Amanda wasn't paying attention, though. She was laughing and clapping her hands as Tamaki lifted her up over his head then pretended to drop her a bit. He was laughing as well. Rei rubbed the back of her head. _Well, I guess he's not annoying when it comes to little kids. Of course, he probably is good with kids because he is one._ (A/N: What she means is that Tamaki is a little kid trapped in a teenager's body).

"Ah, whoa, Hikaru, look!" Kaoru yelled from the living room opening. "There's more kids over here!"

Upon hearing this, Rei quickly rushed over in front of Kaoru. The others tried to see past her, but she wouldn't budge.

"Oi, Rei-senpai, why won't you let us see your brothers and sisters?" Kaoru asked.

"Because, I don't want them to be influenced by the likes of you idiots!"

The boys just stared at her with surprise on their faces. "Idiots?"

She froze. _Crap, _ she thought. _I didn't mean to say that out loud!_ Her face showed what she was feeling: embarrassed and nervous and… apologetic. Sure, they were idiots at times, but that didn't mean she wanted to tell them. With a sigh, Rei moved out of the way and gestured for them to go in.

"I'm sorry," she apologized as the boys and Haruhi entered the living room.

"Ne, everyone, it's Haru-onee-chan!" announced Mayumi.

All the kids popped their heads up, quickly glanced back at Haruhi, then charged at her. Haruhi was taken aback by little kids. Laughing, she said, "Hey, everyone. Long time no see."

After all the introductions were over and everyone had gotten used to each other, the group decided to just hang out and watch television as the kids were doing before. For a few minutes, Rei decided to rest a bit, but then after a while, she made herself get up.

"Eh, Rei-chan, where are you going?" Hunny asked.

Rei replied, "I've got to finish the chores. There's some dishes that need to be put up. It shouldn't take too long."

Entering the kitchen, Rei made her way to the now dry dishes and began to put them away. As she finished putting away some silverware, she began to wonder just why the guys had come over that day. _It could be that they just wanted to bother me. Of course, they do that without even trying. Ugh, and I was hoping this weekend would be a quiet one… I just hope they leave before Otosan gets here. After all, he'll be more than just surprised if he sees a handful of boys he's never met before in our house. Please, Kami-sama, don't let them stay that long. _By then, Rei had finished putting up the silverware and was now standing on a stepping stool, putting the plates away. Unfortunately, as she lowered her foot to the ground, her foot hit her leg and she fell backward, bracing herself. However, she never hit the floor. Opening her eyes, Rei found her savior staring down at her while she was in his arms.

"Ah, Mori-senpai!" Rei said in surprise as Mori let her down. "T-Thank you. Anyways, what are you doing back here?"

"Water," was all he said.

Before she knew it, Rei was laughing. In fact, she was laughing very loudly and her face was turning red. _All he was back here for was water? I'm such an idiot! Haha, I thought he was like some superhero or something at first… What an idiot! Hahaha… _

Mori didn't know what was going on. The girl in front of him just kept laughing and laughing. He wondered what he could've done to make her laugh like that. Although, as he watched her giggle to her heart's content, he couldn't help but smile a bit. Not once had the Host Club seen Rei as happy as she was right then. He was so used to seeing her just give half-hearted smiles, and now he was seeing her real smile.

"Hello?"

The laughter stopped. Rei didn't breathe or say a word. She was too shocked. _But how? He said he was going to be home early, but he didn't say this early! I still haven't even gotten dinner ready yet! Kami-sama, why?_ Rei ran past Mori all the way to the door to greet her father. However, he was all ready in the living room staring at the strangers who were keeping his kids company. Rei froze; she was trying to come up with a way to tell her dad why they were there, but nothing would pop up. Mori came up behind her and put a hand on her shoulder as if telling her to just tell the truth.

Taking a deep breath, Rei said, "H-Hi, Otosan."

Her father didn't say anything. He just continued to stare at the boys in his living room.

"U-Um, I can explain," continued his oldest daughter. "You see, these boys are from Ouran. There the boys from the Host Club I was telling you about." She let out a nervous laugh.

However, he still continued to stare at the boys. Then, as if it were a horror movie, he turned his head slowly towards Rei. And all Rei saw after she met his eyes was a life of hell.

* * *

"So," Daichi said with a creepy smile. He and Rei, who had been hit on the head by her father as punishment and was now crying (A/N: comical… again), sat on a small couch while the boys and Haruhi sat on the large couch across from them. After recovering from the shock of strangers being in his house and watching television with his kids, he had asked Bella to take the rest of the little kids outside to play while he talked to Rei's friends. "You boys are the ones from the Host Club my daughter has been telling me about?"

"Uh, yes," Tamaki answered, aware of the awkward situation they were in.

"I see. And you – " He glanced at Kyouya. " – are the one who blackmailed my daughter into work for this club?"

Kyouya didn't show any signs of fear. He just smiled and replied, "I wouldn't call it blackmail. We simply made a deal is all."

Feeling the tension in the air, Rei just slouched in her seat and let out a breath. _Man, this is _so _awkward! Why did they have to meet like this?_

"So, Nobuko-san, how has work been lately?" asked Haruhi with a small, nervous giggle. She saw how stressful this was on Rei and wanted to relieve the situation a bit.

The father looked over at Haruhi, and his whole face changed. Instead of a creepy smile, he had a friendly smile; and instead of glaring eyes, he had warming eyes, as if Haruhi were an angel while the boys were demons.

"Ah, Haruhi, it's so nice to see you again," he said. "I haven't seen you since Rei was in middle school. So you were forced into the club too? You know we can take care of that, right?"

"Otosan!" Rei yelled as she jumped up from the couch. "Stop being rude! Can't you see that they just wanted to visit? It's not like I don't enjoy hanging out with them! If you don't stop this nonsense, I won't make ramen for you tonight!"

For a minute or so, everything was quiet enough that you could hear a pen drop. However, after that, her father simply hit her on the head again. "You insolent child! How dare you talk to me like that!" (A/N: So, without me saying this, all of you would probably think that he abuses his children. That's not the case. This is all meant to be very humorous.)

"Nobuko-san, we're very sorry for intruding," Kyouya interrupted the quarreling duo. "If there's anything we can do, please let us know. Your daughter has been a great help at the club and a great aspect. She's very polite, and we would be very grateful to continue to have her in the Host Club."

Rei, rubbing her throbbing head, was shocked. That was one of the first times she heard him say something nice about her. Slightly, for just a second, a blush appeared on her cheeks. Then her father hit her on the head again.

"Rei, don't be rude!" he ordered. "This young man just complimented you! I say we let them stay for dinner!"  
"Otosan, there's not enough room for them," Rei reminded the man. Her eyebrows twitched. How had Kyouya managed to change her father's attitude like that? She sighed. "And there's not enough ingredients either."

"Of course there's room!" he said. "We can let them eat on the patio! I'll just ask Bella to clean the tables real quick. And you can go buy some more ingredients!"

"Oh, no, we couldn't possibly let you treat us to dinner," Tamaki humbly told the man. "After all, we wouldn't want to be a bother."

"Too late," Rei mumbled as she headed for the door. "Well, I'm off. I guess I'll go buy some more ingredients."

"Wait!" Hunny yelled as he and Mori rushed over. "We want to come too!"

"And so do we!" the twins cheerfully replied. "Let's go!"

Rei just stared at the group (Tamaki and the others had decided to go too) while she decided. "Fine. But if you get too loud, I'll never let you over to my house again! Understand?"

The boys nodded their heads. And with that, the Host Club made its way to the grocery store.

* * *

"Your father is a very interesting person, Rei-san," Kyouya commented as he looked at the price of commoner's noodles.

Rei, carrying a basket full of needed ingredients, was also looking at the price of noodles, trying to find the cheapest yet best kind. The others had all gone off somewhere else to have adventures and what not, leaving Kyouya and Rei alone in the soup aisle.

"He sure is," replied the redhead. "I'm sorry about his behavior before. He gets a bit overprotective at times."

Kyouya put the box of noodles he was holding back where it had come from and turned to face the girl. Rei felt his gaze and stared back up at him, wondering what was going through his head.

"He's sick, isn't he, Rei?"

Dropping her head, Rei picked up another box of noodles and looked at it, not wanting to tell him or meet his eyes if she answered.

"Yeah," she answered softly.

She shouldn't have been surprised. After all, Kyouya _was_ the son of a family that owned several hospitals. He was probably studying all sorts of medical stuff.

"What does he—"

"Parkinson's disease. The doctors said that it could be treated, but that there was no guarantee that the treatment would stop the disease from killing him. It would just stop the spreading and the pain."

A wave of pity hit Kyouya like that, and he couldn't help but want to just embrace her and tell her everything was going to be okay. But he knew that things would not be okay, and something like embracing someone was not in his nature. So he grabbed her hand and pulled her toward the check out lane, not listening to her protests of "let me go!" and "what are you doing?"

"You shouldn't keep your feelings bottled up, Rei-san," Kyouya told her without looking back at her. "Sometimes, it's okay to just want to sit down and cry. Sometimes, it's okay to not be strong."

No words came out of her mouth. She couldn't say anything or do anything. His words were kind and needed. If it were another time and place, she would be completely shocked at his behavior; but right then, she was grateful that he was the one to tell her that. Though she wasn't going to cry right away while they were surrounded by a bunch of people in the grocery store, Rei just squeezed Kyouya's hand and thanked God that she could finally tell someone about it.

* * *

"Ah! Delicious!" Tamaki announced after taking the first bite of his ramen. "Rei-san, this is completely delicious! You're an excellent cook!"

Rei blushed. "I'm not that good. But thank you for the compliment."

She had decided to eat outside on the patio with her friends. They were all enjoying the ramen that she had made. Looking at each one of them, Rei couldn't help but smile. She was happy that she had met them. Maybe they would be able to pick up the broken pieces of her shattered heart. Just maybe.

* * *

**Wow! This is one of the longest chapters I've ever written! I'm so proud of myself! Sorry for the bipolar moments that Rei has. She just has a complicated love/hate relationship with the Host Club at the moment. :) Anyways, here's some words you need to know if you don't speak Japanese:**

***onee-chan: older sister**

***Okasan: Mother**

***Otosan: Father**

***nabe: a hot pot dish**

***domburi: a bowl of cooked rice with some other food put on top of the rice. Some of the most popular toppings are tempura (tendon), egg and chicken (oyakodon), tonkatsu (katsudon), and beef (gyudon)**

***yakisoba: fried or deep fried Chinese styled noodles served with vegetables, meat, and ginger**

***Kami-sama: God  
**


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